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A Braito

Publications and source records attributed to A Braito.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Intrafamilial hepatitis A outbreak: projection on the community in an area of Tuscany.

In 1988, 3 intrafamilial cases of hepatitis A occurred in a little town in the nearby of Siena: shellfishes were probably responsible for the index case, close contacts for the two secondary cases, characterized by a very long incubation period (above 60 days). An inapparent infection was detected in one household contact. No other cases of hepatitis A have been observed in that area since the intrafamilial outbreak until now. A seroepidemiological survey was carried out in a group of persons living in the same area, and attending the same school or class-room of one of the secondary intrafamilial cases. 210 sera belonging to 105 teenagers were available; an IgG anti A test was performed on a double serum sample (before and after the outbreak): no seroconversion was observed. Our report underlines the hypoendemicity of hepatitis A infection in our country.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of immunoglobulin M-antibodies after rubella immunization with RA27/3 attenuated live vaccine in teen-agers: remaining problems.

Four-hundred-fourty-two rubella seronegative teen-agers living in Siena and the surroundings were vaccinated with RA 27/3 live attenuated rubella over a two years period (1985-1987). One-hundred-twenty seven vaccinees' sera were randomly selected for the rubella specific antibodies of the IgM class detection with two Elisa Methods; the sera were collected 10 and 30 days after the challenge; in 58 girls a serum sample was also obtained 1 yr later. None of the sera showed reactivity for RF. The comparison between the two Elisa methods gave satisfactory results, the percentage of discrepancies being low (3.9%). Ten days after the immunization the IgM positive sera were only 7.56% (Elisa Abbott) and 5.88% (Elisa Enzygnost Behringwerke). One month later, 86.61% of the specimens showed reactivity for specific IgM antibodies. None of 58 sera gave positive results after 1 yr. Rubella antibodies of the IgG class could be demonstrated in the "screening" sera of 3 IgM negative subjects, when an Elisa method was applied. Nine subjects (7%) repeatedly resulted IgM negative one month after the challenge although a seroconversion was observed using both HAI and EIA. A serum sample was also obtained in 6/9 IgM "non responders" after a rubella epidemic observed in 1988-1989; no subclinical reinfection due to the wild virus was detected in this group, no changes in HAI antibody title nor evidence of IgM class specific response were observed. Although most of the diagnostic aspects related with rubella and rubella vaccination appear to be resolved, it should be underlined that there are several remaining problems especially associated with IgM detection.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Decline of HBsAg antibodies after immunization with hepatitis B vaccines and after natural infection.

The long-term persistence of anti-HBsAg above 10 mUI is conventionally believed to protect against natural infection with hepatitis B virus, while it is not yet clear what is the clinical significance of the fall to below 10 mUI in antibody levels. In our opinion, an important method for evaluating the effectiveness of the vaccine lies in comparing the duration of vaccine-immunity with that following the disease, the later being held to provide life-long protection. In this view, we examined the sera samples of 69 subjects (56 healthy people, and 13 drug-addicts) previously affected from HBV infection looking for anti-HBsAg with an Elisa method. The subjects were aged between 4 months and 73 years and had all suffered from acute fully recovered icteric hepatitis in the previous 2 to 10 years. All the drug addicts (13 males) and 4 healthy children from the group had no or negligible levels of antibodies; 3 out of 8 old people (60 or more yrs old) showed no antibodies only 4-5 yrs after having been infected. In the remaining group of 44 healthy people 14 cases were observed which had antibody levels 10 mUI, regardless of age, sex or occupation; the greater the time between the infection and the test, the greater the probability of finding negligible antibody levels. We conclude that the reduction in antibody levels may not be indicative of a loss of immunity: many of our cases have shown low or undetectable antibody levels, a few years after full recovery from an acute attack of hepatitis B.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Role of viruses in acute gastroenteritis].

In a two years screening carried out on Florentine children we confirmed that Rotaviruses are the most important ethiological agents of acute gastroenteritis in infants less than two years old, irrespective of sex. We had evidence that Rotavirus diarrhea does not occur with the same incidence every year. Rotavirus gastroenteritis is characterized by profuse diarrhea, vomiting, fever and often by respiratory symptoms. Severe complications have not been observed.

Adolescent↗